Exploring ER/Studio Release 20.3: Enhancing Data Management with Git Integration

ER/Studio continues to evolve, and the latest release, version 20.3, introduces significant updates that streamline data management processes, particularly with the integration of Git repositories. This update brings a suite of powerful features designed to enhance the functionality of ER/Studio, making it even more indispensable for data professionals. Here’s a closer look at what’s new in version 20.3.

Git Integration: Connecting Data Modeling into your CI/CD Pipelines

One of the standout features of ER/Studio 20.3 is its robust Git integration, which is set to transform how users manage and version their data models. The development process allows users to commit versions of the Create DDL or JSON for an asset directly to your Git repository. Furthermore, it’s important to have scripts that upgrade existing schemas to the latest version for databases. Thus, you can use our Compare/Merge features to take a previous database version to the latest by generating appropriate ALTER scripts.

Generate and Commit DDL or JSON to Git Repositories

• Commit Create DDL and JSON Files directly to Git: Right now, users can generate “Create DDL” scripts or JSON representations from their Physical Data Models to a file. Now, you can commit these files directly to a Git repository. Now, ER/Studio integrates seamlessly with your CI/CD processes.

Compare and Generate ALTER Scripts

• Model Comparison: Another powerful feature is comparing a Physical Data Model with any “Create DDL” version stored in the Git repository. This functionality is crucial for maintaining consistency and understanding changes over time. This comparison provides a semantic comparison that is much easier to understand than the straight text comparison available in Git.
• Generate ALTER Scripts: Based on the comparison, users can generate an ALTER script that updates the database from the previous version to the current version reflected in the model. This script ensures that all changes are accurately captured and can be executed to update the database schema.
• Commit ALTER Scripts: Like the “Create DDL,” these ALTER scripts can be committed to the Git repository. This dual approach of committing the initial creation and subsequent alterations ensures comprehensive version control and traceability.

Supported Git Implementations

ER/Studio 20.3 supports various Git repositories, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with your existing DevOps tools. The supported Git implementations include:

• GitHub: The world’s leading platform for open-source collaboration.
• GitLab: Known for its integrated CI/CD capabilities.
• Atlassian Bitbucket: Ideal for teams using Jira for project management.
• Azure Repos: Part of the Azure DevOps suite, offering seamless integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem.
• Assembla: Provides a secure, cloud-based Git service.

Benefits of the ER/Studio 20.3 Git Integration

• Seamless Integration with DevOps: This feature aligns with modern DevOps practices, allowing for continuous integration and delivery of database changes alongside application code. By adopting this feature, you can be confident that you are keeping up with the latest industry trends and practices.
• Save Time: As you complete a version, commit the code at the push of a button.
• Extend the Comparison Features of Git: Understanding the differences between versions is an important part of Git, but simply viewing code differences in Git can be confusing. ER/Studio provides a semantic comparison between versions.
• Improved Traceability: By committing both “Create DDL” and “ALTER” scripts to the repository, users gain a comprehensive history of changes. This makes tracking and auditing modifications easier, providing security and control over your data that was not possible before.

Leverage ER/Studio 20.3 for Advanced Data Management

ER/Studio 20.3 represents a significant leap forward to integrate ER/Studio into your CI/CD processes to support an effective DevOps program. The new Git integration enhances collaboration, ensures robust version management, and empowers users, giving them better control over their data models. Whether using GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure Repos, or Assembla, ER/Studio’s latest update has the tools to streamline your data workflows.

Explore ER/Studio 20.3 Today

Ready to explore the new features of ER/Studio 20.3? Request a demo today to see how Git integration and other enhancements can transform your data management.